Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, told The Sun: "We will be asking the police as part of our new inquiry into the future of policing why so many of these basic crimes are going unsolved, whether the figures are getting worse.

"They have to be able to do the basics - keeping the streets safe and catching criminals who invade people's homes.

"We need to know from the police and the Government what their plan is to catch more of the culprits and whether they have the support they need to deal with this disturbing crime that can wreck people's lives."

In 2015, a Press Association analysis of Home Office data showed forces in England and Wales closed 80.2% of investigations into break-ins without identifying a suspect in 2014/15.

In the same year, Leicestershire Police revealed they had not fully investigated break-ins at odd-numbered houses as part of an experiment to look at ways of saving money.

The force said the three-month pilot was launched to see whether only responding to half of attempted burglaries had any impact on victim satisfaction rates.

For the pilot, attempted burglaries at even-numbered houses were fully investigated with forensic teams sent and fingerprints taken.

The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for acquisitive crime, Deputy Chief Constable Matt Jukes, said: "Police investigate all cases and also ensure that victims who may be particularly vulnerable, such as the isolated elderly, get the support they need from their police force.

"There have always been challenges for detection in burglary cases as, unlike many other crime reports where the suspect is at the scene or nearby, the suspect has often fled and criminals have become smarter about forensics.

"Police focus on targeting prolific offenders and organised crime networks as well as prevention measures by homeowners and businesses are working; burglary has fallen by a third since 2010 and is at its lowest level for thirty years.

"Simple measures can be the most effective in preventing burglary - such as ensuring all doors are locked and valuables are kept out of sight."

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "These figures are deeply troubling. The Tories are in denial about the effects of their broken promises on police numbers, police effectiveness and the fight against crime.

"Not only is there more crime under this Government, but falling numbers of officers have meant that the police are becoming less effective at fighting crime."